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I think the big story this weekend is the return of Team Homan. They have looked brittle ever since their run through the Olympic trials. They put up two big comebacks in the quarter against Sinclair and in the semi against Muirhead when it would have been easy to pack it in. Win or lose in the final, they are back, and it bodes well for the future of this team & Canada's competitiveness at the world level.

Obviously, Team Sinclair flaunting their new found power and nuance were near the top. Sinclair has elevated herself to TOP 5 world status, no question. They're good, very good.

Kerri E. in farewell to current girls also a nice story - she'll have a puncher's chance in the HD Final - but if Homanites all curl 85%+ I like Keri's chances - of finishing 2nd.

Val didn't make anything this week - but I still love that team's spunk & humor. Val being a Manitoban is going to be hard to adjust to - but she'll be welcomed with open arms. A class act if there ever was. Always so near the gold, but never a golden girl.

Jones continues to win, even in the twilite of her storied career. Amidst missed shots, whiffs and clowny strategy she still knows how to cobble up wins. A scrapper of great renown. No one ever like her - no one will ever be!

Has all the ear-marks of a great season finale. The Scotties runners-up vs. the Olympic Trial victors.

Usually you'd have to give the big advantage to Team Raytch - mainly cuz Emma more often than not blows out her competitor at 3rd and leaves basic shots & doubles to Skip Homan. But not this time. The former timid & meek (my words) Einarson 3rd Selena has morphed into a stern opponent, even vs. a superstar like Miskew. And this week Emma hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire with her percentages.

Skip fairly even. 2 powerhouse skips - obviously Homan's trophy case is larger. Einarson comes in on a high - Rachel very good at times - but really spotty at others.
In her conquest of Princess Eve she only cobbled a 62% game - found herself down 5-0 after 2 ends but rallied when Eve crumpled and turned in a putrid 55%. Don't think that will happen with Einarson.

Big advantage at 2nd to Homan - a brittle Courtney is still a dangerous Courtney and she's been the most consistent performer this week on Team RH. Liz Fyfe out of her league in this one, I'm afraid.

Weagle - now the most serious of the mean girls has a match on her hand - taking on the tenacious spark-plug Kristen McCuish. But when it comes to tick shots and weight control, nobody does it better than Lisa W.

I’ve seen that tension all season...Einarson seemed very separated from them...little laughing or joking with them.

That obvious, huh curlerbroad? lol
Anyways, following it from inside Manitoba I think Kerri felt she was being held back by her current group. Despite the minor acrimony they still managed to get to the STOH via a play-in, conquering favoured Chelsea Carey and then taking JJ Jones the distance before succumbing to a superior team.

Player by player - Kirsten McCuish is a gamer lead, she gives you all she has (and sometimes more). Definitely an up 'n coming good lead - but not yet GREAT.
2nd - Liz Fyfe - despite awesome bloodlines is an average 2nd - rarely throwing up hi-grade percentages, which means - - -
3rd - Selena Kaatz usually has to make slightly higher than normal degree of difficulty shots, lowering her shooting average. Kaatz is the one player who has progressed to being one of the better 3rds in the country. She's gone from meek and timid rabbit to a relatively ferocious fox.
Skip - Einarson is the star of this team and felt she couldn't go any further with whats under the hood. Average front end, 3rd who plays a different game.

So here's the rub. Einarson forms a super-team with Bree Meilleur at lead, Shannon Birchard at 2nd and Val Sweeting at vice. Should be Manitoba Scotties favorites - especially with Jones already auto-berthed.

I think they'll do very well - Meilleur and Birchard are still young enough to realize they're a bit behind monsters like Jones, Homan, even Scheidegger and McCarville.

Key is how well Val responds to transplanting to Manitoba and being Einarson's 3rd.

Knowing they were losing their skip, Selena & Co. made a bold move to bring Tracy Fleury aboard from Northern Ontario. Like Einarson, Fleury is a very quiet, almost introverted performer. She could fit in really well - but the team is still hampered by an average front end - although Kaatz and Fleury could be surprisingly formidable.

quote:Originally posted by curlerbroad However, Fleury is a skip who enjoys being with her team. Even when trailing by 7, she still socialized with her team rather then looking at them like they were club curlers who hardly hit the broom.

Fleury just might represent MB!

Re: Fleury - I do think Selena is a superior 3rd to Crystal Webster - and I really like Webster. Webster returns to Alberta - wonder if she'd be able to tolerate Chelsea Carey as her skip?

Congrats to the Homan Team and the Gushue Team on winning the Humpty's Champ Cup on the w/end. Found the following statement interesting. Took it from CBC morning sports news.

Brad Gushue capped an undefeated 7-0 run in the Champions Cup to close out the Grand Slam of Curling season with an 8-2 win over Glenn Howard on Sunday.

The St. John's, N.L., crew of Gushue, third Mark Nichols, second Brett Gallant and lead Geoff Walker have now won all seven top-tier titles in the series. Gushue has earned 10 in total, nine of which have come since Nichols rejoined the squad at the start of the Olympic cycle in 2014.